The Dickinson press., 1887-08-20
LIFE In ALASKA.
SOMETHING ABOUT OUR NORTHERN
TERRITORY AND ITS INHABITANTS.

The Crude Buildings in Sitka-Ihe
Houses OF the lndians-In,liam Doctors
Mcthods-Thc Eural-Srencs ON the
Seal breeding lslauds.
The buildings i'll Si'ka are very crude
The chief structure of interest is the old
Greek church, built hy the Russians nearly
a century ago. 1t has been carefully kept in
trim from time to- time, and forms the first
object of curiosity to the Traveller The
Crroles worship in this church The men
stand or kncel on the right side and the women
OH the left, there lring no pews or seats of
any kind. Their strict attention during uor.
ship is wonderful To nwi,ne>s. No turns to
look toward the right or left: allcvcs are kept
rivctct, us it Were, upon the priest, who
seldom speaks, but keeps constantly moving
about in symbolic wor hip
The Indians hn." their own chapel, which
was also erected ~ the ltl>s,ars Til, shnu,y.
for it is nothing more, is fast going to ruin.
The Sitkan Indians are II loatlisonc, thrift
less set, afflicted with srrofuuus and ,ulmonic
diseases. Their bodies are large and ont of
proportion with their short legs due 10 laci,
of pedestrian exercise and constant canoeing.
The houses of the Indians are from fifteen
to ninety five feet square. The roof SLOPES
from tile center To within five or six feet Of
the ground. III the center of the roof is a
hole left open for the escape of sllloNc, there
being no chimncys. The lireplucrs in these
"ranchcricS," MS these houses are termed. are
made in the center directly under the roof
hole This contrivanco is built of mud piled
up three feet high, forming Il pit like in
closure where a fire is kept constantly burn
ing and over which several pots hang cyhal-
ing the minslng fumes of Goldfish, herring
and salmon. Several families live in ono
rancherir, which consists of one room with
no window or ventilation save the smoke hole
and tho circular hole about five feet high
used as n door. The squaws squat nround
the fire, tasting ut intervals from the cook
pots, while their babies are strapped to pieces
of board and put up against the wall for
hours at Il time They appear indifferent to
the outcrics of their infants who i'm chorus
make IL perfect he'llnm and they 20 on cha,
tering among themselves, cn,lcnvoring to-
reach n higher key than the shrlll babies
voices. The more stormy the weather the
less clothing the Indians wear They cvi.
IDENTIFY consider clothing more for ornament
than use. This accounts for the many CON
sumptives among the Arctic Indians.
INDIAN DOCTORS METHODS.
Their 'shamalH' or doctors are treated
with great respect and To any other than an
Indian they are the most loathsomc. ropul.
sivc, msishtly creatures Their healing
power is regarded as lessened by the Use of
water, i'll fact any cleansing fluid or sub.
stance. Their hair is allowed To grow in an
unkempt condition, their faces fairly seem
groaning under an accumulation of many
years dirt, until Old Nick himself cannot
look more revolving or more horrible. rhos.
"shomans" are woefully ignorant of all nredi
cal cures. They know nothing Of herbs and
weeds calculated to heal Their cures are
supposed to be made through magic. An IN
dian never sends for n physician until he
feels himself sick unto death. They are all
equally apathetic regarding their physical
condition; they move around uconylaiu-
ingly until they have no longer the strength
to creep about Then it is tli. .sshnu;iu'' is
summoned. He in turn callHr the ucinl,,or4
far and near. They flock in and gather
around the patient in standing or s.,,r.t,inu
position The "sllanmm" places himself in
front of the invalid and begins to Chant in :,
low voice, growing louder and louder, Till the
dead might be aroused from their sleep by
the unearthly sounds rcndiug The ain This
is kept up for hours, until tile sick I,ljuu.
through excitement, appears more animated
or, unable to endure the noise longer. sinks
into comatose state.
After death the body is placed in sitting
position; the relatives join in a low cLult for
two or three hours; then Il square box, about
the size and shape of an ordinary dry goods
box, is brought and the corpse lifted i'm, still
i'll n sitting position, aud thus it is buried.
The females paint their faces in stripes with
red and bluo paint aud their teeth black as n
token of mourning.
THE SEAL ISLANDS
The islands Of st. Paul and St George are
known as tho senl islands, or seal breeding
islands. The male seals or bulls Land upon
these islands during May and June to take up
their positions Oh tho ''rookerics' TO await
the arrival Of the female seals, which do
not come up from the sen until three weeks
later. The bulls fight ficrcely among them
selves for position OH the rookcres, near the
sea, and not unfrequcp,ly kill each other in
these fierce eombnts. Tie male seal is i'm its
full maturity at the age Of SIX or seven years
i'll length six or seven feet, weighing from
400 to 600 pounds.
The females, or COW seals, are on an aver
age about one-siXth the size of the male, from
four to five feet long, much more shapcly in
FORM weighing from GO TO 100 pounds. They
are gentle in disposition and entirely devoid
of the pugilistic propensities Of ile NAL. seal.
They bear their young after The age Of three
Years, and never bring forth theirlups inllle
water. Impelled hy an accuratca APPRECIATION
of the time in which their period of CESSATION
expires, they land upon these rookerics aud
place themselves under the protection of the
malc seals. The bulls are polygnmous n.
their feelings, for they gather about them
fifteen or twenty COW seals, and it is ;stonisl-
ing to see with what lordly supervision this
one male seal guards his harcm. He keeps a
constant eye upon the young pups and his
entire family until the close Of the breeding
season, in September. when they disappear
into the sea from whence they cane Each
seal benrs but single pup at on" time She
is an Indifferent mother, allowing her young
to be taken from her without the Slightest
concern. The seals are never killed during
the breeding season-May and Junc-and te
females at all times arc exempt l.. s. E'itz-
patrick i'll New Orleans Times Democrat.